Multi-layered hairpin

ABSTRACT

A hairpin includes a first layer portion; a second layer portion connected with a first end of the first layer portion via a first bent joint, and disposed at one side of the first layer portion; and a third layer portion connected with a second end of the first layer portion via a second bent joint, and disposed at another side of the first layer portion. A distance between the second end of the first layer portion and the second layer portion is changeable to open or close a first entrance for hair, and a distance between the first end of the first layer portion and the third layer portion is changeable to open or close a second entrance for hair.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a nonprovisional application claiming benefit from a prior-filed provisional application bearing a Ser. No. 62/736,670 and filed Sep. 26, 2018, the entity of which is incorporated herein for reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hairpin, and more particularly to a hairpin constructed with multiple layers for providing a variety of hair clipping effects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional hairpin includes an upper portion, a lower portion and a bent joint connecting the upper portion and the lower portion, which are formed by bending a metal strip. The ends of the upper portion and the lower portion opposite to the ends connected to the bent joint are free ends. The two ends form a mouth that can be opened to accept a volume of hair. By pulling apart the upper portion and the lower portion, the lower portion can be inserted into hair, and by releasing the upper portion to clamp hair above the lower portion, a portion of hair can be clipped by the hairpin.

Such a hairpin is convenient in use to retain hair but it falls off easily from its open ends. Also, it has a defect of unsatisfactory clamping force, particularly after being used for a certain period of time. Further, it has very little surface to be pulled apart and opened for receiving hair portions, so it is difficult to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, there is a need to design a hairpin, which has an improved clipping structure and is easy to be used.

An aspect of the present invention provides a hairpin, comprising: a first layer portion; a second layer portion connected with a first end of the first layer portion via a first bent joint, and disposed at one side of the first layer portion; and a third layer portion connected with a second end of the first layer portion via a second bent joint, and disposed at another side of the first layer portion. A distance between the second end of the first layer portion and the second layer portion is changeable to open or close a first entrance for hair, and a distance between the first end of the first layer portion and the third layer portion is changeable to open or close a second entrance for hair.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a hairpin integrally formed of a strip material. The hairpin comprises a first layer portion constructed with at least one strand of the strip material; a second layer portion extending from a first end of the first layer portion transversely, reversely and toward one side of the first layer portion; and a third layer portion extending from a second end of the first layer portion transversely, reversely and toward another side of the first layer portion,

-   -   wherein a distance between the second end of the first layer         portion and the second layer portion is changeable to open or         close a first entrance for hair, and a distance between the         first end of the first layer portion and the third layer portion         is changeable to open or close a second entrance for hair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above contents of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a side view schematically illustrating a multi-layered hairpin according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a side view schematically illustrating the multi-layered hairpin of FIG. 1A, which has opposite mouths to be propped open for receiving hair portions;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a multi-layered hairpin according to an embodiment of the present invention to clip hair portions;

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are top views schematically illustrating upper, intermediate and lower layer portions of a multi-layered hairpin according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively;

FIGS. 4A-4F are schematic diagrams exemplifying a variety of shapes that the upper or lower layer portions may be; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a multi-layered hairpin according to another embodiment of the present invention,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a side view of a multi-layered hairpin according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated. The hairpin includes an upper layer portion 11, an intermediate layer portion 12 and a lower layer portion 13. The upper layer portion 11 and the intermediate layer portion 12 are connected with a first bent joint 112, and the intermediate layer portion 12 and the lower layer portion 13 are connected with a second bent joint 123, wherein the first bent joint 112 and the second bent joint 123 are disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate layer portion 12. The free end 111 of the upper layer portion 11 and the second bent joint 123 form a mouth 110 when the free end 111 of the upper layer portion 11 and the second bent joint 123 are forced apart. The free end 113 of the lower layer portion 13 and the first bent joint 112 form a mouth 130 when the free end 113 of the lower layer portion 13 and the first bent joint 112 are forced apart. The mouths 110 and 130 are oppositely oriented as schematically illustrated in FIG. 1B, each serving as an entrance for hair, and optionally opening for receiving hair and closing for retaining hair by changing a distance between the intermediate portion and the upper/lower layer portion.

When in use, the free end 113 of the lower layer portion 13 is pulled away from the intermediate layer portion 12 and inserted into hair, and meanwhile, the intermediate layer portion 12 is manually kept apart from the lower layer portion 13, thereby having a portion of hair 101 enter the hairpin from the mouth 130, and then the intermediate layer portion 12 is released to clamp hair above the lower layer portion 13 so as to secure the hair portion with the hairpin. Optionally, another portion of hair 102 can be clipped with the same hairpin in a similar way. The free end 111 of the upper layer portion 11 is pulled away from the intermediate layer portion 12, which has been fixed onto the user's head, to expose the other mouth 110 so that another portion of hair can be placed into the room between the intermediate layer portion 12 and the upper layer portion 11 from the mouth 110, and then the upper layer portion 11 is released to clamp the hair portion 102 between the intermediate layer portion 12 and the upper layer portion 11. Since the mouths 110 and 130 are oppositely oriented, the two hair portions 101 and 102 will enter the hairpin in crossing directions, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. As a result, the crossing hair portions 101 and 102 create a special hair style. Furthermore, the crossing configuration facilitates stabilization of the hair-clipping effect. For facilitating mouth-opening, the free end 111 of the upper layer portion 11 is preferably slantingly bent upwards, and the free end 131 of the lower layer portion 13 is preferably slantingly bent downwards, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The bent joints 112 and 123 may also be slightly bent upwards/downwards to readily open the mouths 110 and 130.

As described above, a hairpin according to the present invention is constructed with multiple interconnected layers, e.g. three layers. For improving clamping performance, different layers play different roles and have specifically designed structures. For example, FIGS. 3A-3C schematically illustrate top views of three layer portions 11, 12 and 13, respectively, of the embodiment of hairpin illustrated in FIG. 1A. As shown, in this embodiment, each of the upper layer portion 11 and the lower layer portion 13 has an area larger than the intermediate layer portion 12 for stabilizing the hairpin on the user's head. In addition to the configuration exemplified in FIG. 3A, the upper layer portion 11 may have many alternative configurations, and FIGS. 4A-4H schematically show top views of some examples of shapes of the upper layer portion 11 for illustration purpose only. Basically, the upper layer portion 11 is formed as a closed loop. Some of the examples, e.g. those shown in FIGS. 4A, 4C, 4D and 4E are symmetric relative to the intermediate layer portion 12, while the other examples, e.g. those shown in FIGS. 4B and 4F are asymmetric relative to the intermediate layer portion 12. The shape of the closed loop, for example, may be a triangle, diamond, circle, oval, crescent, or a combination of the aforementioned shapes connected in series.

The configuration of the lower layer portion 13 may be identical to, similar to or different from that of the upper layer portion 11, and can be selected from the configurations exemplified in FIGS. 4A-4H or any other suitable configuration. For better clamping performance, one or both of the upper layer portion 11 and the lower layer portion 13 can be made wavy. The sizes, curvatures, orientations, and number of waves may vary, depending on producing cost, manufacturing process, aesthetic considerations, etc. Furthermore, the upper layer portion 11 and the lower layer portion 13 may be made with different shapes to be used interchangeably to further provide alternative decoration for the wear.

In the above embodiments, each hairpin is made of a strip material that can be formed into a shape of multiple tiers, e.g. bendable metal, injected plastic, cut wood or bamboo, or any other suitable natural or man-made material. Once the shape is formed, the material should have tolerance to properly deform in response to an external force, and then have the tendency to return back to its original shape after the external force is released.

In one embodiment, each of the three layer portions 11, 12 and 13 consists of at least two strands of the strip material. The strip material is not bent downwards or upwards directly to form the bent joints of the intermediate layer portion. Instead, it is bent transversely and reversely, and extends slightly upwards or downwards to next layer. For example, as can be seen from FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, the two strands of the upper layer portion 11 and/or the lower layer portion 13 split near, and in some embodiments, immediately next to, the bent joint 112 and/or 123. In more detail, the two strands of the intermediate layer portion 12 extend oppositely outwards at one end to form respective lateral sections 115 and 116, and continuously extend backwards to form respective elongated sections 117 and 118, wherein the sections 115, 116, 117 and 118 form the upper layer portion 11. The elongated sections 117 and 118 ascend slightly so as to overlie the intermediate layer portion 12. Likewise, the two strands of the intermediate layer portion 12 extend oppositely outwards at the other end to form respective lateral sections 135 and 136, and continuously extend backwards to form respective elongated sections 137 and 138, wherein the sections 135, 136, 137 and 138 form the lower layer portion 13. The elongated sections 137 and 138 descend slightly so as to underlie the intermediate layer portion 12. It is to be noted that the terms “upper”, “lower”. “upwards”, “downwards”, “outwards”, “backwards”, “descend”, “ascend”, “overlie” and “underlie” are used for expressions of relative positions of the parts in the hairpin only, and is not intended to limit the use of the hairpin in any specific orientation.

Alternatively, a hairpin according to the present invention may be formed by molding to result in the three layer portions 11, 12 and 13, each consisting of at least two strands of the strip material. The at least two strands of each layer portion 11, 12 and 13 may be symmetric or asymmetric, parallel or non-parallel, and the at least two strands of the layer portion 12 may be closely or distantly disposed.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates another embodiment of multi-layered hairpin according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a hairpin includes an upper layer portion 61, an intermediate layer portion 62 and a lower layer portion 63. The upper layer portion 61 and the intermediate layer portion 62 are connected with a first bent joint 612, and the intermediate layer portion 62 and the lower layer portion 63 are connected with a second bent joint 623, wherein the first bend portion 612 and the second bent joint 623 are disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate layer portion 62. Two or more strands of the lower layer portion 63 may split and separately disposed to allow hair to enter in between. The two or more strands may be wavy, symmetric or asymmetric, parallel or non-parallel to trap hair for better hold. Likewise, the sizes, curvatures, orientations, and number of waves may vary, depending on producing cost, manufacturing process, aesthetic considerations, etc.

Since the hairpin according to the present invention is constructed with multiple layers, more rooms are provided for receiving more hair, and meanwhile, a variety of hair clipping effects can be achieved. By laterally expanding one or more of the layer portions 11, 12 and 13, and specifically adjusting the shapes and configurations of one or more of the layer portions 11, 12 and 13, the clipping capability of the hairpin can be improved.

While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hairpin, comprising: a first layer portion; a second layer portion connected with a first end of the first layer portion via a first bent joint, and disposed at one side of the first layer portion; and a third layer portion connected with a second end of the first layer portion via a second bent joint, and disposed at another side of the first layer portion, wherein a distance between the second end of the first layer portion and the second layer portion is changeable to open or close a first entrance for hair, and a distance between the first end of the first layer portion and the third layer portion is changeable to open or close a second entrance for hair.
 2. The hairpin according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second and third portions are wavy.
 3. The hairpin according to claim 1, wherein the first layer portion is constructed with two strands of a strip material.
 4. The hairpin according to claim 3, wherein each of the second and third layer portions and the first and second bent joints is integrally formed with the first layer portion, and constructed with two strands of the strip material extending from the two strands of the first layer portion at the first end and the second end.
 5. The hairpin according to claim 4, wherein the two strands of the first layer portion at the first end are bent outwards to form the first bent joint so that the second layer portion includes a lateral section and an elongated section.
 6. The hairpin according to claim 5, wherein the two strands of the first layer portion at the second end are bent outwards to form the second bent joint so that the third layer portion includes a lateral section and an elongated section.
 7. The hairpin according to claim 4, wherein the two strands of the second layer portion are connected at one end to form an integral free end.
 8. The hairpin according to claim 7, wherein the two strands of the third layer portion are connected at one end to form an integral free end.
 9. The hairpin according to claim 7, wherein the two strands of the second layer portion form a closed loop.
 10. The hairpin according to claim 9, wherein the closed loop is symmetric relative to the first layer portion.
 11. The hairpin according to claim 9, wherein a shape of the closed loop is selected from a group consisting of triangle, diamond, circle, oval, crescent, and combinations thereof.
 12. The hairpin according to claim 4, wherein the two strands of the second layer portion and/or the two strands of the third layer portions have free ends.
 13. The hairpin according to claim 3, wherein the strip material is a metal strip.
 14. The hairpin according to claim 3, wherein the strip material is a plastic strip.
 15. The hairpin according to claim 1, wherein the first entrance and the second entrance are oriented in different directions.
 16. A hairpin integrally formed of a strip material, and comprising: a first layer portion constructed with at least one strand of the strip material; a second layer portion extending from a first end of the first layer portion transversely, reversely and toward one side of the first layer portion; and a third layer portion extending from a second end of the first layer portion transversely, reversely and toward another side of the first layer portion, wherein a distance between the second end of the first layer portion and the second layer portion is changeable to open or close a first entrance for hair, and a distance between the first end of the first layer portion and the third layer portion is changeable to open or close a second entrance for hair.
 17. The hairpin according to claim 16, wherein each of the first, second and third layer portions is constructed with two strands of the strip material.
 18. The hairpin according to claim 16, wherein the strip material is a metal strip.
 19. The hairpin according to claim 16, wherein the strip material is a plastic strip.
 20. The hairpin according to claim 16, wherein the first entrance and the second entrance are oriented in different directions. 